Missing Dog Walker Nicola Bulley: River Search Intensifies

Police are also looking for the clothing Ms. Bulley was wearing when she went missing, including an ankle-length black quilted gilet jacket and a black Engelbert Strauss waist-length coat that was worn underneath.

Police investigating the disappearance of a mother-of-two say they believe she “sadly” fell into a river during a 10-minute window a week ago.

Nicola Bulley, 45, went missing in Lancashire last Friday morning while out walking her dog after dropping off her two daughters, ages six and nine, at school.

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The mortgage adviser, from Inskip, was last seen around 9.10 a.m. on a path by the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre.

Officers are focusing on a 10-minute window from 9.10 am to 9.20 am because they cannot account for her movements during that time.

After reviewing the dashcam, CCTV, and doorbell footage, police believe she did not leave the riverside area and that her “main working hypothesis” is that she fell into the water.

Her phone was thought to be on the bench at 9.20 am, and a witness discovered it at around 9.33 am, still connected to a work Teams call that had ended at 9.30 am.

At 9.33 a.m., the same witness discovered Ms. Bulley’s springer spaniel, Willow, running loose between a nearby gate to the field and the bench, with the dog’s harness on the grass between the bench and the river’s edge.

Officers believe “there’s no third-party or criminal involvement” and that it was “a tragic case of a missing person”.

An extensive search of the area, including specialist dogs, drones, a police helicopter, and divers, has been conducted along the River Wyre and 15km (nine miles) to the sea.

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Superintendent Sally Riley gave an update on what Ms. Bulley was wearing when she went missing, including an ankle-length black quilted gilet jacket and a black Engelbert Strauss waist-length coat worn underneath.

She stated that officers were attempting to locate her clothing and accessories and urged people to keep an eye out for them.

Ms. Bulley was also wearing tight-fitting black jeans, long green walking socks tucked into her jeans, ankle-length green Next wellies, a necklace, and a pale blue Fitbit, according to Ms. Riley.

“It’s really important that the public pay attention to those very specific clothing descriptions, please,” she said, adding that “factual sightings of those items would be very useful to us.”

Is there a problem with the dog?

Ms. Riley also said there may have been an “issue with the dog that led her to the water’s edge, she puts her phone down to go and deal with the dog momentarily, and Nicola may have fallen in”.

“The dog was dry,” the senior officer added, and Ms. Bulley can swim.

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Peter Faulding, a forensic search and rescue expert, told Sky News: “Normally, if someone trips, they will be holding their phone.

“Because the dog was found dry, it did not go in the river, which raises my suspicions about this case.”

Ms. Bulley’s friends retraced her steps earlier on Friday, as the search continues.

Her partner, Paul Ansell, has said he will “never lose hope”.

He also stated that he was replaying “every scenario” in his head “over and over” and that his primary focus was on supporting their two young daughters.

Mr. Ansell stated: “I’m not sure how I’m going to cope. I’m not going to think about it. I’m only concerned with the girls.”

“We’re never, ever going to lose hope, of course, we’re not,” he continued, “but it’s as if she’s vanished into thin air.”

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